During menstruation, women generally choose to use either a tampon or a sanitary towel to absorb menstrual fluid. Their choice is influenced by the distinct advantages and disadvantages of tampons and sanitary towels.
Unlike sanitary towels, tampons are inserted into the vaginal cavity. This means that they are not visible, even if the user is wearing tight fitting clothing. Women also tend to be less conscious that they are using a tampon than a sanitary towel. These advantages are decisive for many women.
However, tampons have their disadvantages. Perhaps most importantly, tampons that remain inserted for too long can cause toxic shock syndrome and in some cases death. Other medical issues include a recommendation that tampons are not used when an intrauterine device (IUD) has recently been inserted and evidence that tampon use can predispose women to endometriosis. Tampons also have a number of perceptual and practical disadvantages. Tampons can be difficult to insert. Women who are not sexually active may not therefore feel comfortable using a tampon. Indeed, in some cultures, insertion of a tampon into the vaginal cavity is objectionable. Finally, women with heavy menstrual flow can experience some leakage and have some abdominal discomfort with tampon use.
Sanitary towels avoid some of the disadvantages of tampons. They are worn such that they cover the opening of the vaginal cavity, i.e. externally. This means that all the medical disadvantages of tampons (toxic shock syndrome, problems with new IUDs and predisposition to endometriosis) are avoided. Any perceptual issues regarding insertion into the vaginal cavity are also avoided and sanitary towels can be more practical for women with heavy menstrual flow, as they are usually less likely to leak than tampons. Finally, sanitary towels find particular use after giving birth or after termination of a pregnancy.
Nonetheless, sanitary towels have their own disadvantages. Even the smallest and most discrete sanitary towel is visible to some extent. Sanitary towels generally need to be held in position, e.g. by adhesion to panties or by a belt. They are large in comparison to tampons, which makes them less convenient to carry around or to dispose of. Women also tend to be more aware that they are wearing a sanitary towel than a tampon, as sanitary towels are less comfortable. Finally, sanitary towels are a little less hygienic than tampons as they can cause some mixing of bodily fluids.
It can therefore be appreciated that neither tampons nor towels are ideal. However, the present invention recognizes that a sanitary product combining some of the features of a tampon with some of the features of a towel can have many of the advantages, yet minimise the disadvantages, of both tampons and towels.
Combined tampons and towels have been suggested before. For example, patent publications U.S. Pat. No. 2,092,346, U.S. Pat. No. 2,331,355, U.S. Pat. No. 3,037,506, U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,234, U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,321, U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,763 and EP1206925 all describe sanitary products comprising combined internally worn plugs (e.g. “tampons”) and externally worn pads (e.g. “sanitary towels”) of various shapes and designs. However, all these sanitary products suffer from a number of disadvantages. In particular, they are difficult to fit.
A tampon is usually inserted using an introducer, which is a stiff tube of plastics or cardboard. The introducer is inserted into the vaginal cavity and the tampon is pushed through and out of the introducer into position. The introducer is then withdrawn from the vagina, leaving the tampon in place.
The sanitary products described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,092,346, U.S. Pat. No. 2,331,355, U.S. Pat. No. 3,037,506, U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,234, U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,321 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,763 each have an externally worn pad joined directly to an internally worn plug. An introducer cannot be used to insert the plugs of these products, as the introducer cannot be withdrawn over the pad. The plug must therefore be inserted manually, either by manipulating the pad or by manipulating the plug with the pad folded out of the way. This is awkward to say the least.
EP1206925 suggests a slightly different approach in which a conventional tampon is removably attached to a pad using a string. This document suggests using an introducer to insert the tampon and attaching the pad after insertion. However, this is time consuming and fiddly.
The present invention seeks to overcome these problems.